Thank you to E.B. Goodale for recommending A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders (it was beyond a recommendation, really, since she said it was a book emergency when she found out I hadn't read it yet). Have you read it? It's a book-formatted version of a class Saunders teaches at Syracuse on Russian short stories. I will admit I hesitated for a while. Somehow the marketing around this book did not make it sound fun. There was a general vibe of "We all know Russian short story writers from over 100 years ago are a downer, and you'll find this book is a lot of work!" I was under the impression it was the book equivalent of fiber-fortified bran cereal.
I'm sorry, still laughing about "Puppy Train to Sleepy Town."